Apple Sells Out of Meager iPhone 5 Launch Stocks in India

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has sold through its initial stocks of the iPhone 5 in India following the device's launch there on Friday, but the company was said to have delivered only 10,000-15,000 units for the first wave of sales.

“We were sold out within 24 hours of launch. It’s all gone,” said Himanshu Chakrawarti, chief executive of The MobileStore Ltd., a retailer that stocks iPhones and which has 900 outlets across India. Apple Inc.’s latest iPhone officially launched in India on Friday, more than a month after it hit major markets elsewhere.

Analysts are expecting Apple to deliver roughly 100,000 iPhone 5 units to India in the first month of availability, jumping to 200,000 by the end of the year.

While those shipment numbers pale in comparison to those seen other populous countries, they do represent a substantial jump over the 50,000 units sent to India in the June quarter, a boost due not only to the introduction of the new hardware but also improved distribution.

iPhone 5 Black 16 GB is easily available at many electronic outlets since day one. I checked it today too. But other varients are still not available & definately demand is insane.

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There are over 1.2 billion people in India, but Apple is planning on sending only handsets 200,000 for the entire year? I guess Indians really hate iOS...

All iPhone so far are sold at price more than 700 $(base model price) and not at 200 $ like in US but people are still ready to buy. How many people in US will buy it at 700 $ & how many people in India will go for it if iPhone is 200$ ?

Actually the price is $836 for a 16gb according to today's exchange rate.
And one basic thing. Price is US is under contract. U pay $200 upfront and then 24 months the rental is over 60-70$ ( this is the base plan)
So basically its much more expensive in USA then its in india at the end of two years.
Ahh well. Ignorance ;)

iPhone 5 Black 16 GB is easily available at many electronic outlets since day one. I checked it today too. But other varients are still not available & definately demand is insane.

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All iPhone so far are sold at price more than 700 $(base model price) and not at 200 $ like in US but people are still ready to buy. How many people in US will buy it at 700 $ & how many people in India will go for it if iPhone is 200$ ?

Actually the price is $836 for a 16gb according to today's exchange rate.
And one basic thing. Price is US is under contract. U pay $200 upfront and then 24 months the rental is over 60-70$ ( this is the base plan)
So basically its much more expensive in USA then its in india at the end of two years.
Ahh well. Ignorance ;)

The ignorance here is astounding. While these numbers are not great compared to sales of more developed countries, the sell-out here of is indicative of a growing opportunity for Apple in Asian countries. Many in India still use Nokia Phones based off the Symbian operating system but now that Symbian has been shuttered, Apple has an opportunity to come in and steal customers who are looking for more advanced smartphones. This is a good sign of progress for Apple in India and sales are likely to increase in the coming years as India grows.

Oh look, another white guy who thinks he knows everything about just because he visited India once, for a wedding. Here is a little hint. He was a servant. Talk to someone who work in I.T or medical field. Last time I visited India, all I could see was iPhones and iPads.

Really bro-last time all you saw was only iPhones and iPads ! wow ! Am from New Delhi-so am Indian,don't go by that Canada moniker,I work in Canada-and to be honest,70% of the population survives below poverty line,AND what you talking about is the elite 1%,go check your facts-the per captia GDP of india is 1k$. And if you say it's cheap,so adjusting it to PPP it goes to just 3,000$ and you,if you are an Indian,you very well know the disparity which exists there.

largest population on the planet but what % of that population can actually afford an iphone?

There are 27 million smart phone users in India growing rapidly. The problem with Apple is that there is no dedicated iTunes store for India. So content is limited especially when India is so wealthy in much of its own music, movies and literature.

Apple can ignore India for now, but risks getting shut out down the road when Samsung is already dominating.

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